Apparatus for softening water.



L. D, KINZIG.

APPARATUS FOR SOFTENING WATER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, I916.

1,220,422. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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L. D. KINZIG.

APPARATUS FOR SOFTENING WATER.

APPLICATION FILED. JULY 10. I915.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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L. D. KINZIG APPARATUS FOR SOFTENING WATER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10. 1916- Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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LOUIS D. KINZIG, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO OPTENBERG IRON WORKS, OF SI-IEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 191?.

Application filed July 10, 1916. Serial No. 108,278.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS D. Knvzrc, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Softening Water, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a simple water softening apparatus which shall be efficient, reliable and sensitive in operation without containing any delicate parts and which, after having once been adjusted will thereafter operate indefinitely accurately to proportion the chemical to the raw water without danger or possibility of variation due to clogging of small orifices by the chemical material.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple water softening apparatus in which the chemical solution in the chemical tank will be effectively agitated so as to keep the chemical in suspension.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel means for controlling the deliveryv of raw Water and chemical by the level of the water in the storage reservoir for treated water.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter he pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of an apparatus arranged in accordance with a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the inlet end of the water pipe which forms part of the con troller for the delivery of the chemical mixture;

Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale looking toward the right from the left hand side of Fig. 1, the main reservoir being omitted and a part of the casing beingbrokenaway;

Fig. 4 is a section on an enlarged scale into the main reservoir, Where the through the joint between the chemical-receiving pipe in the chemical tank and the controller therefor, together with the journal bearing in the partition between the chemical tank and the water tank containing the controller;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the delivery nozzle for the raw water, including an automatic shut-off valve.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a large reservoir for treated water. In the center is a tubular member, 2, extending from the top to the bottom, the member 2 being preferably cylindrical and having at the lower end a series of slots, 3, out therethrough. As is usual in these apparatuses, the raw water and chemical is delivered into the upper end of the central member 2, flow ing out of the bottom of the latter and out mixture rises through a suitable filter, not illustrated, but in the position indicated by the two angle irons, 4. The treated filtered water is drawn off from the upper end of the main reservoir in any suitable way.

Mounted on top of the main reservoir is a receptacle divided into three compartments; there being a compartment, 5, for containing the chemical mixture; a compartment, '6, lying beside the compartment 5 and adapted to contain a supply of water; and a compartment, 7, extending across the ends ofthe compartments and 6 and containing a vertical water wheel, 8. The three compartments may conveniently be formed by simply placing suitable partitions in a tank or box of the proper size. The chemical. compartment, 5, projects clownwardly below the compartment 6 and terminates in a portion, 9, which is somewhat less than half of a cylinder having its axis horizontal; the radius of the cylindrical portion being considerably less than half the width of the chemical compartment so that the bottom of chemical compartment will be formed by the curved portion 9 and clownwardly inclined slopes, 10, at opposite sides thereof.

On top of the Water wheel compartment there is preferably placed a casing or housing, 11, semi-circular in elevation, for the purpose of completely inclosing the water wheel whose axis is conveniently placed in about the plane of the top of the compartments 5, 6 and 7.

At the axis of the curved portion 9 of the bottom of the chemical compartment is a shaft, 12, having thereon arms or paddles of any suitable type of a radial length slightly less than the radius of the curved bottom. In the arrangement shown, there are on the shaft 12 two sets of arms, 13 and 1a, the arms 13 lying in the same plane at one end of the shaft and the arms 14 lying at the other end of the shaft in a plane at right angles to the plane of the arms 13; the outer ends of the arms of each set being connected together by suitable blades or paddles, 15, which lie parallel with the axis of the shaft. Each of the members 15 is approximately half as long as the shaft so that the arrangement described constitutes a paddle wheel approximately as long as the chemical compartment. It will be seen that when the arms of one set are vertical, so that the lower blade or paddle thereon is in the bottom of the curved portion 9 where, when the apparatus is idle, the solid chemical material may collect, the other arms lie horizontal; the result being that the agitator is easy to start after the apparatus has stood idle for some time. Furthermore, because of the small diameter of the agitator, very little power is required to keep it in motion and therefore, by providing a suitable driving connection, 16, between the shaft of the agitator and the water wheel, the latter becomes an effective driving means for the agitator; whereas heretofore, in all constructions of which I am aware, the water wheel has had too heavy a load to carry and has therefore frequently failed to operate effectively when most needed, especially on machines of small ca pacity.

In the compartment 6 is a floa 17, carried on the outer end of an arm, 18, which swings about a horizontal axis near the bottom of the compartment. On the under side of the float is a member, 19, having a small inlet orifice, 20, as best shown in Fig. 2. The member 19 is also preferably provided with a vent pipe, 21, projecting upwardly from the same to a point above the float or at least above the level of the water in which the float may lie. From the member 19 extends a discharge conduit preferably much larger in interior diameter than the diameter of the orifice 20; the discharge conduit extending to the exterior of the co-mpartn'ient and being so formed that it will not interfere with the free rise and fall of the float. In the arrangement illustrated, the outer end of the arm 18 is in the form of a pipe, 22, which is connected to the member 19 and is also connected to a flexible pipe or hose, 23, extending to a discharge pipe, as, passing through the partition between the compartment 6 and the water wheel compartment and terminating in a downwardly extending outlet end, 25, emptying into the main storage reservoir. The arm 18 is fixed to a shaft, 26, extending through and revolubly supported in the partition 27 separating the compartments 5 and 6 from each other. Secured to the shaft 26, so as to be movable therewith, is a pipe, 28, lying in the chemical compartment; the relative positions of the arm 18 and the pipe 28 angularly of the shaft 26 being such that the free end or mouth 29 of the pipe 28 lies just at the surface of the liquid in the chemical compartment when the latter is filled with chemical and the compartment 6 is filled with water. The lower end of the pipe 28 is connected to a chemical discharge pipe, 30, by a suitable loose joint or otherwise which extends to the exterior of the three eompartment receptacle and terminates in a clownwardly extending discharge end arranged immediately above the central compartment, 2, in the main reservoir. The pipe 28 as well as the pipe 30 and the connections between them are preferablyvmade quite large in diameter so that liquid flowing into the mouth 29 will flow freely through the same without encountering any appreciable resistance.

The bearing for the shaft 26 in the partition 27 is shown in detail in Fig. 4. The shaft extends through a bushing, 81, which fits in an opening in the partition, 27, and is held in place by means of a nut, The bushing may be provided with a series of annular grooves or channels, 33, in which liquid tending to pass through the bushing may collect and form an effective seal.

in starting the apparatus, the compartment, 5, is filled with a chemical mixture and the compartment, 6, with water. The

orifice, 20, is always submerged in the water and therefore water will constantly fiow through the orifice and out of the discharge conduit, lowering the water level in the compartment- 6 and consequently the float, and thus causing the mouth of the chemical pipe, 28, to be lowered correspondingly. As the mouth of the cl emical pipe is lowered the chemical mixture of course flows down into the chemical delivery pipe, lowering the surface of the chemical mixture in the compartment The orifice 20 always remains at the same distance below the sun. ace of the water and therefore the pressure at the same is constant. The result is that the water is withdrawn from the controlling compartn'ient at a constant rate and therefore the chemical is also discharged at a constant rate. Therefore, if the main supply of raw water to be treated is delivered at a constant rate, the desired proportion between the water and the chemical will always be maintained; and since only water is fio ving through the controlling orifice, all other openings,

whether inlet or outlet openings, and all of the pipes or conduits being of large cross sectional area, there will be no variation in the rate at whichthe chemical is supplied, because the small orifice cannot become clogged and there is nothing through which the chemical mixture passes that can be in any way affected by the chemical to vary the accuracy of the feed. Furthermore, since I employ only a small agitator at the extreme bottom of the chemical compartment, that is at the place where settling occurs or tends to occur, the mixture in the upper portion of the chemical compartment remains tranquil and will therefore flow evenly into the chemical. pipe.

The raw water to be treated is supplied through a pipe, 35, having its discharge end, 36, so placed that the water will fall upon the water wheel and will turn the same. In the pipe is a valve, 37, serving both as a regulating valve to vary the rate at which the water is delivered and as a shut-ofl valve. The water from the water wheel compartment issues therefrom through a pipe, 38, having a discharge orifice, 39. Connected with the pipe 38, and lying above the discharge orifice, is a float chamber, 40, containing a float, 41. A stem, 42, projects upwardly from the float and is connected to a lever, 43, which is in turn connected to the stem, 44, of the valve 37. When the float chamber is empty the weight of the float opens the valve 37 fully. When the apparatus is set in operation by admitting water to the pipe 35, the water enters the pipe 38 faster than it is discharged through the orifice 39 and consequently the water rises in the float chamber and lifts the float. As the float rises the valve 37 begins to close, the upward movement of the float and the closing of the valve continuing until a condition of equilibrium is obtained, the water being discharged through the orifice 39 just as rapidly as it is received. The float, 41, acting through the valve 37, there fore serves to maintain a constant head at the orifice 39, causing the raw water to be delivered to the main reservoir at a constant head.

When the float, 41, rises high enough it completely closes the valve 37 and thus stops the flow of water to be treated. It will be seen that unless some means is provided for checking the flow of water from the controlling compartment for the chemical at the time the valve 37 is closed, the flow of controlling water will continue and therefore the delivery of chemical will continue after the flow of raw water has stopped; this being for the reason that the controlling orifice, 20, is always submerged. To prevent the occurrence of the condition just described, I have placed between the water discharge pipe, 24, and its outlet, 25, a valve,

reservoir has been filled to 46, which is connected to the lever 43 by suitable connections indicated as a whole at 47; the arrangement being such that when the lever 43 is actuated far enough in the direction to close the valve 37 it also closes the valve 46 and thus prevents the water compartment, 6, from being drained while the apparatus is idle.

In order to make the apparatus completely automatic some means must be provided for stopping it when the reservoir is full. To this end I have arranged in the main reservoir a float, 50, which, when the a desired level, as indicated by the dotted line 51, causes the supply of raw water to be shut off by bringing about a closing of the valve 37. In the arrangement shown, and as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, there is located in the pipe 38 a ball valve, 52, which is light enough to float. The stem 53 of the valve extends down through the orifice 39 and has thereon two separated shoulders, 54 and 55. A lever, 56, connected at one end to the float 50 has a part, 57, at the opposite end embracing the valve stem, 53, between the shoulders on the latter. When the float is up, the part 57 presses down on the shoulder 55 and holds the ball valve seated in the orifice 39, thus stopping the flow of water. As the water is withdrawn from the main reservoir, the float falls and, after it reaches a predetermined low level, the part 57 engages with the upper shoulder 54 on the valve stem and thereafter the weight of the float is gradually brought to bear in the direction to lift the valve from its seat. After the valve has been lifted from its seat to a predetermined distance it will simply rise to its extreme upper limit by reason of its buoyancy. The discharge of water from the pipe 38 with which the float chamber 40 is associated is therefore interrupted whenever a predetermined maximum level is reached in the main reservoir and is again established when a predetermined minimum level is reached. Whenever the flow is interrupted the water of course rises in the float chamber 40, causing the valve 37 and also the valve 46 to be closed.

While water is flowing out of the orifice 39 past the valve 52, under normal condi tions, the suction of the water flowing to the orifice is insufficient to cover the buoyancy of the valve but as the valve is carried downwardly by the float, it is caught in the stream and is carried quickly to its seat so that the operation of shutting oif the water and chemical is quick and positive. It will be seen that by varying the distance between the shoulders 54 and 55 on the valve stem, the distance between the high level and the low level at which the shut-oil device acts may be varied.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In an apparatus of the character described, a container for a fluid chemical, a controlling container adapted to contain water, means for causing the water to be discharged from the latter container so as to lower the surface level at a uniform rate, a chemical pipe having a receiving mouth, and means for controlling said pipe so as to maintain the mouth thereof in such relation to the surface of the chemical that the chemical flows into the same and for lowering said mouth as the water level in the controlling container is lowered.

2.- In an apparatus of the characterdescribed, a container for a fluid chemical, a controlling container adapted to contain water, means for causing the water from the latter container to be discharged at a uniform rate so as gradually to lower the level of the water in the container, a movable chemical delivery pipe in the container for the chemical, and means for lowering the receiving end of the chemical pipe in unison with the lowering of the water level in the controlling container.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a container for a fluid chemical, a controlling container adapted to contain water, means including a float for causing the water from the latter container to be discharged at a uniform rate, a movable chemical delivery pipe in the container for the chemical, and a connection between said float and said pipe for lowering the receiving end of the pipe as the water level in the controlling container is lowered.

41-. In an apparatus of the character described, a container for a fluid chemical, a controlling container adapted to contain water, a float in the latter container, a movable chemical delivery pipe arranged in the container for the chemical, a water dischage pipe arranged in the other; container, the water discharge pipe having a restricted inlet orilice, and connections between said pipes and said float whereby said orifice is maintained at a predetermined distance below the water level in the controlling container and the mouth of the chemical pipe is kept at the surface out the chemical fluid.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a. container for a fluid chemical, a controlling container adapted to contain water, a movable chemical delivery pipe in the container for the chemical, and means in the controlling container for lowering the level of the water therein and simultaneously lowering the receiving end of the chemical delivery pipe.

(3. In an apparatus of the character described, a container for a fluid chemical, a controlling container adapted to contain water, a chemical delivery pipe having a vertically movable mouth in the container for the chemical and adapted to lie at the surface of the chemical, and means for lowering the water in the controlling tank and simultaneously lowering the mouth of the chemical delivery pipe.

7. In an apparatus of the character dc scribed. a container for a fluid chemical, a controlling container adapted to contain water, a float in the latter container, a movable waste pipe arranged in the controlling container and having one end connected to the float. said waste pipe having a restricted inlet orifice adapted to be so located as to be submerged in the water on which the float rests, a movable chemical delivery pipe having a receiving month which is large compared to said orifice, and a connection between the chemical delivery pipe and the float for causing said receiving mouth to be kept at the surface the chemical in position for the chemical to flow into it and to be lowered as the level of the water in-the controlling container is lowered.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a water supply pipe, a controlling container adapted to contain water, chemical supplying means, a float in said container, a movable waste pipe having its inner end connected to said float and having a submerged restricted inlet orifice, means controlled by the float for governing the delivery of chemical from the aforesaid means, shut-off valves in said pipes, and means for simultaneously closing said valves.

,9. In combination, a storage reservoir, a

water supply pipe. a valve in said pipe, mechanism for controlling the aforesaid valve including a chamber adapted to receive water from said pipe, there being a discharge outlet from said chamber to said reservoir, a buoyant valve in said chamber for controlling said discharge outlet, said buoyant valve being adapted to be held by water pressure in a position to close the discharge outlet and be carried into a fully open position by reason of its buoyancy as soon as it is partially opened, a float in said reservoir, and a connection including a lost motion between said float and said buoyant valve.

10. In combination, a sto-rage reservoir, a water supply pipe, a valve in said pipe, mechanism for controlling said valve including a chamber adapted to receive water from said pipe, there being a discharge outlet from said chamber, means including a quick acting valve for opening and closing said outlet, a float in said reservoir, and connections between said float and the latter valve for causing it to close When the Water is at a predetermined maximum level in the reservoir and to open When the Water falls to a predetermined low level in the reservoir.

11. In combination, a storage reservoir, a water supply pipe, a valve in said pipe, mechanism for controlling said valve including a chamber adapted to receive Water from said pipe, there being a discharge out- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressin let from said chamber to said reservoir, a valve device for said discharge outlet, a float in said reservoir, and connections between said float and the latter valve containing considerable lost motion whereby the latter valve is caused to close when the Water is at a predetermined maximum level in the reservoir and to permit it to remain closed until the Water falls to a predetermined lovv level in the reservoir.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specifi- 25 cation.

LOUIS D. KINZIG.

g the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

